End-of-Life Doulas
Extend your existing doula skills into companion-animal end of life and pet-loss support.
Pet Death Doula Certification
Learn to support animals and the people who love them through declining health, quality-of-life decisions, euthanasia, grief, ritual, legacy, and remembrance—with a clear, compassionate non-medical scope.
Online & self-paced
Certification + digital badge
Tuition from $174.50 USD
60-day money-back guarantee
Why This Matters
Families need support through pet loss that is real and witnessed.
Pets are family. When an animal nears the end of life, the grief families carry can be deep, disorienting, and underrecognized.
Pet death doulas support the human side of the experience through anticipatory grief, quality-of-life reflection, goodbye planning, ritual, remembrance, and grief after a death—while respecting the essential role of the veterinary team.
This training helps you bring steadiness, practical tools, and compassionate presence to moments families may remember for the rest of their lives.
Amy-Lynne & Estonia
Amy-Lynne, Estonia & IEOLCA
This work became personal long before it became a program.
My family was blessed with four incredibly loving years with Estonia after adopting her as a senior dog. We supported her through diabetes, blindness, changing comfort needs, and eventually the end of her life.
As I cared for her, I recognized my end-of-life doula skills at play in so many ordinary and tender moments: slowing down enough to notice what was changing, making space for anticipatory grief, reflecting on quality of life without rushing a decision, preparing for goodbye, and staying present with the love and uncertainty of it all.
IEOLCA recognized the natural parallels between human and companion-animal end-of-life care. The principles of doula care—presence, comfort, thoughtful preparation, and support through grief—extend naturally to animals and the people who love them, within a clear non-medical role and in close partnership with veterinary care.
The Pet Death Doula Certification Program brings these shared principles into practical language, tools, and clear boundaries for supporting families through the end of an animal's life.
I bring my background in end-of-life doula care, hospice volunteering, curriculum development, and learner support into the way this program is taught and held.
Amy-Lynne
From a 25-Year Pet Professional & Life Coach
★★★★★
“IEOLCA has deepened my relationship with life, aging and death. As a 25 year pet professional and life coach, I was searching for a program that offered support for both people and animals.
The pet death doula and human death doula certifications from IEOLCA far exceeded my expectations! My heart has grown wider and happier from being connected with this amazing community!!”
Sage Lewis · Creature Teacher · DancingPorcupine.com
Who This Is For
For people called to support animals and the people who love them.
Veterinary & Animal-Care Professionals
Deepen the emotional, relational, grief, and ritual support you can offer alongside clinical care.
Animal Lovers
Turn a genuine calling toward animals and families into structured, ethical, practical learning.
Pet Caregivers
Learn grounded ways to navigate a beloved animal's decline, goodbye, grief, and remembrance.
What You Will Learn
Practical pet-loss support skills you can apply with care and confidence.
Recognize patterns of decline and changing comfort needs within a non-medical role.
Support quality-of-life and euthanasia conversations with neutrality, compassion, and respect.
Guide ritual, legacy, memorial, and aftercare planning in ways that honor the bond.
Validate anticipatory and disenfranchised grief as real and worthy of support.
Support children, older adults, and families with sensitive, practical guidance.
Work ethically alongside veterinary care with clear boundaries and scope.
Develop your practice thoughtfully with service, pricing, intake, documentation, and boundary tools.
Inside Your Training
Explore the practical training and tools you'll be able to return to in practice.
This is more than eight modules to read through. Your training includes a printable guidebook and practical resources designed to support thoughtful conversations, family preparation, ethical practice, and your developing services.
8 connected modulesFrom foundations and dying-process awareness through grief, ritual, ethics, and practice.
Printable guidebookA structured companion you can save, print, annotate, and revisit.
9 practical toolsIncluding quality-of-life, comfort, conversation, intake, aftercare, ritual, and service-planning resources.
Assessment + reflectionBring your learning together through required program assessments and reflective integration.
Take Time to Experience the Training
Your registration is protected by our 60-day guarantee.
Begin the program, explore the curriculum and resources, and decide whether IEOLCA's approach is right for you. If it isn't, you can request a refund within 60 days of registration.
Register and Begin Today
Choose the option that is right for you.
We want this training to be accessible to anyone feeling called to this path. Both tuition options include the same complete program, resources, and lifetime access. Choose the level that fits your circumstances.
Full Tuition
$349 USD
Helps sustain the program and keep tuition support available to others.
Enroll →50% Tuition Support
$174.50 USD
This tier is here for you. No explanation is needed.
Enroll →60-day money-back guarantee · Instant access after enrollment
Scope note: Pet Death Doula support is non-medical and does not replace veterinary assessment, diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Students are responsible for understanding any local requirements that may apply to their services.
Program Curriculum
Eight connected modules from foundations to practice.
Companion-animal end of life, family support, grief, ritual, ethics, and professional practice.
8 ModulesConnected learning pathway
Self-PacedLearn on your schedule
Guidebook + ToolsPrintable resources included
Lifetime AccessReturn whenever you need
🐾 From Foundations to Practice
A practical, reflective pathway through pet end of life and grief support
Welcome & Introduction to Pet Death Doula Work
Understand the learning journey, completion requirements, and reflective approach.
The Role of the Pet Death Doula
Clarify non-medical scope, ethics, boundaries, veterinary collaboration, and family-centered support.
Understanding the Animal Dying Process
Recognize common patterns of decline and help families prepare within veterinary guidance.
Supporting Families in Decision-Making
Use quality-of-life tools and values-based conversation without judgment or pressure.
Rituals, Legacy & Meaning-Making
Create meaningful rituals and keepsakes that honor each family's relationship, culture, and preferences.
Grief, Aftercare & Disenfranchised Grief
Understand pet-loss grief, aftercare options, and appropriate resources and referrals.
Reflection & Integration
Bring your learning together and identify meaningful next steps for continued growth.
Professional Practice & Service Models
Shape clear services, pricing, boundaries, availability, documentation, and sustainable practice.
Included Resources
Nine practical tools included with your training.
Download, personalize, and use these resources to support thoughtful conversations, family preparation, and your developing practice.
Home Comfort PlannerQuality-of-Life ScalesPet Advance Care Plan TemplateRitual & Legacy Idea SheetsClient Intake & Aftercare ChecklistsGrief Resources & Referral ListService Model & Pricing PlannerEuthanasia Conversation GuidePrintable Pet Doula Guidebook
Upon Completion
What you receive upon Pet Death Doula certification.
🎓 Pet Death Doula CertificationReceive your IEOLCA Pet Death Doula certification and certificate after meeting the program's assessment, Code of Ethics, and Scope of Practice requirements.
🏅 Digital Certification BadgeA shareable IEOLCA Pet Death Doula certification badge for your website, email signature, LinkedIn, or social media.
∞ Lifetime AccessReturn to all eight modules, the printable guidebook, and practical tools whenever you need them.
Want broader preparation for supporting people at end of life?
Explore IEOLCA's Certified End-of-Life Doula Program →Student Experiences
What learners say about the training.
★★★★★
“Training with IEOLCA's Pet Death Doula program provided valuable information and thoughtful reflection. What was beautifully expressed was that pet loss is legitimate, choices are personal, and what remains, always, is love.”Nancy M. · Pet Death Doula Training Graduate
★★★★★
“This training helped me understand that walking with an animal at the end of their life is a sacred honour. I now have the required tools to support pets and their humans through this final transition.”C. Brown · Pet Death Doula Training Graduate
★★★★★
“This course not only reaffirmed my intuition, but gave me a road to follow. I can't wait for this journey to begin. It grounded me so I can help others.”Jacob Schlanger · Pet Death Doula Training Graduate
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers about the training, credential, scope, and next steps.
Is this course self-paced?+
Yes. You have lifetime access to all eight modules, the printable guidebook, and practical resource tools. There are no live sessions or fixed deadlines.
How long does the training take?+
There is no required completion time. The program includes eight modules, reflection, assessments, a printable guidebook, and practical tools. Learners move through the training at their own pace, and lifetime access means you do not need to rush.
What is required to receive Pet Death Doula certification?+
Complete the eight-module learning pathway, meet the midterm and final assessment requirements, and acknowledge the Pet Death Doula Code of Ethics and Scope of Practice. IEOLCA reviews required assessment submissions before certification, the certificate, and the digital certification badge are issued.
Is this a certification program?+
Yes. This is IEOLCA's Pet Death Doula Certification Program. Students who meet the program requirements, including reviewed assessments and acknowledgment of the Pet Death Doula Code of Ethics and Scope of Practice, receive IEOLCA Pet Death Doula certification, a certificate, and a digital certification badge. The certification recognizes preparation for non-medical companion-animal end-of-life support.
How is this different from the Certified End-of-Life Doula Program?+
The Pet Death Doula program focuses specifically on companion-animal end of life, family decision-making, pet-loss grief, ritual, aftercare, veterinary collaboration, and pet-doula practice. IEOLCA's Certified End-of-Life Doula Program is the broader human end-of-life certification pathway.
Can I charge for Pet Death Doula services after completing the training?+
The program includes professional-practice education on services, pricing, boundaries, intake, documentation, and collaboration. Pet Death Doula work remains non-medical and non-veterinary. You are responsible for understanding any local business, insurance, or practice requirements that apply where you live.
Is this appropriate if I am currently caring for or grieving a pet?+
Yes, many parts of the program can be meaningful for people navigating their own companion-animal end-of-life experience. The training is educational rather than counseling or veterinary care, so give yourself permission to move gently and use additional personal or professional support when needed.
Do you offer payment plans?+
IEOLCA currently offers two honor-based tuition options for the complete program: $349 USD full tuition and $174.50 USD tuition support. Both provide the same training, resources, certification upon meeting program requirements, lifetime access, and 60-day guarantee.
Can a veterinary clinic or organization register multiple learners?+
Yes. Please email office@ieolca.org and tell us approximately how many learners you are considering so we can help with registration.
Can I use this learning internationally?+
The program's non-medical frameworks are designed to be useful across diverse communities and care settings. Students remain responsible for understanding any local requirements that apply to their role or services.